WHITLINGHAM: New moths

31st May 2018

My visits to Whitlingham have been less frequent this year as I adapt to family life, so I took the opportunity to grab an hour there at the end of the month. There had clearly been an influx of Mute Swans, with 77 on the section of the Great Broad that I counted. I couldn't see many goslings, perhaps out of sight on the main island, but there was a brood of young Mallard ducklings. Once again I failed to hear a Willow Warbler or Cuckoo, although Blackcaps were still very obvious.

In non-avian highlights I saw a Helophilus trivittatus hoverfly on the picnic meadow, whilst there were two new moths for me in the form of a slim-line occupied larval case of Dark Elm Case-bearer, Coleophora limosipennella, and an adult Small Barred Longhorn moth, Adela croesella.

NORTH NORFOLK: Hindringham Hall gardens

Late May 2018

Each spring Cathy & I take our mums out to some gardens as a late Mother's Day trip, and we try to find places that we haven't been before. This year we chose Hindringham Hall, a small hall with gardens in north Norfolk that opens to the public for 3 hours, twice a week. Seeing the photos on the website I wondered if that would give us enough time to get round, but actually we had a good look and tea and cake comfortably in that time.

One of the main features is a complete moat around the hall, apparently dating back to 1150. This held a pair of Black Swans with two cygnets, and the male was rather aggressive in defending them, at one point sneaking onto the path and charging Margaret! The pair were presumably bought and placed here, but the offspring might be free flying if they survive (apparently the brood was larger but predated by Mink). Perhaps better were the series of House Martin nests under the eaves of the hall, which were being patched up by the adult birds.

The overcast conditions limited the insect life apart from bumblebees, but I did find a new leaf mine, Phytomyza astrantiae on Astrantia leaves, a ginger Merodon equestris was a smart looking hoverfly and Cathy found a Meadow Longhorn moth as we walked back to the car.

NORWICH: Mousehold - mainly looking at birch

28th May 2018

After dropping Cathy & Rose off in the city I decided to spend an hour or so up at Mousehold Heath. Checking the birches I began to see Parent Bugs, so named because they stand and guard their eggs. At least 12 of them were found in a small area, undoubtedly a small proportion of the true number.

Whilst looking at the birches I started to find leaf mines, including some made by moths, sawflies and a weevil. Of these Eriocrania salopiella was new to both me and the 10km square, and Stigmella lapponica was also a good find. The sawfly mines were caused by Fenusa pumila, whilst a mine ending in a neat cut out circle was caused by Orchestes rusci. Pictured here in the same order -

I had hoped to see some bees that Jeremy & Vanna had seen around the pond, but there didn't seem to be much flying around, however I did find a Panzer's Nomad Bee, Nomada panzeri, which completed the set of three similar species for me. Another Alabonia geoffrella moth, Broom Beetle and Green Tiger Beetle completed an interesting trip to the heath.

MID NORFOLK: Whitwell with a focus on hawthorn

27th May 2018

One of last year's target species was Red-barred Gold moth (Micropterix tunbergella) a scarce and/or under-reported species and moth number 1 in the B&F checklist. The only site that I knew of for it was Whitwell Common, where it was been seen previously on Hawthorn blossom. As it happened, there is also a fungus found on Hawthorn leaves about now, so I decided to spend an hour or so at Whitwell, mostly looking at the Hawthorn flowers. I didn't find my target moth, but did find lots of other things, so here are some photographic highlights.

Alabonia geofrella. A micro moth with the rubbish vernacular name of Common Tubic (but known to some moth people as 'Geoffreys')

 A 'pistol-case' of the moth Coleophora hemerobiella on Hawthorn

 Unidentified caterpillar on hawthorn

 Downlooker Snipefly

 Another Coleophora sp on hawthorn

 Leaf mine of Stigmella hybnerella

 Grammoptera ruficornis, a small longhorn beetle

 Epiphragma ocellare - a cranefly sp

 Slender Groundhopper - they aren't normally this confiding!

 Scorched Carpet

The larval case of Coleophora solitariella, a nationally scarce B moth, on Greater Stitchwort.

NORWICH: This weeks invertebrate update

w/c 21st May 2018

Another handful of insects noted on my daily commute, including some interesting webbing. Notes with the photos.

Meridon equestris - a variably-patterned hoverfly that mimics bumblebees. The larvae feed on bulbs of Daffodils and Bluebells for most of the year before the short-lived adults emerged. After seeing my first of the year near New Mills I found several more on my visits out.

Whilst checking a birch trunk for resting insects, I noticed that it was covered in sheets of silk. It didn't look like the work of caterpillars or spiders, so I was intrigued what could have caused it. Some internet research strongly suggests that it is down to Barklice. I'm not sure if several species do this in the UK, or if it is only Archipsocus nomas.

Whilst searching the same tree trunk I did notice two moths, which both turned out to be new for me. The top one is Birch Conch, Conchylis nana, and the second one is Common Birch Bell, Epinotia immundana.

Later in the week there was an emergence of Mayflies along the river, and on Friday I walked home via Train Wood, seeing clouds of them as well as a Holly Blue and a very smart pointy-faced Anasimyia lineata hoverfly.

WHITLINGHAM: May bird count & interesting insects

20th May 2018

The May wildfowl count at Whitlingham won't live particularly long in the memory, being rather light on birds. I visited a bit later than my last visit as mist was forecast and I didn't want a repeat of the hour I spent last month staring into the fog. By the time I got there the visibility was fine, with only a thin layer of mist scudding across the water surface. There were five small broods of Greylag Geese at the west end of the Great Broad, but no sign of the Egyptian Goose brood (hopefully out of sight on the island rather than expired). Three Oystercatchers flew over, and four Tufted Ducks were still present. 

Having not visited for several weeks I noted the warblers as I went round, hearing two Garden Warblers (I had a brief chat with Brian who had heard three earlier in the morning) plus Whitethroat, Reed Warbler and an out of place Sedge Warbler singing from some scrub near the archery range. I didn't hear a single Willow Warbler, which was disappointing.

Amongst the other wildlife I noticed the feeding signs and then larval case of Common Case-bearer (Coleophora serratella) on Alder leaves. The attractive beetle Plateumaris sericea was also seen in several different colours, and I managed to identify another Nomad bee as Nomada flava, a patch tick for me. I temporarily detained a Parhelophilus hoverfly, but it wasn't the species that has a tubercle on the leg so I still couldn't identify it. The C.P. was starting to get very busy due to a canoe race, so once I'd finished the count I headed back home.

BRECKLAND: Wayland Wood and a new moth for Norfolk

19th May 2018

A fungus study group visit to Wayland Wood, but I suspected that a nice spring day at an ancient woodland would be more productive for insects than fungi, and this proved to be the case (although I'm told lots of fungi was recorded too).

I arrived a bit early, and Stewart Wright was already there and had found an Oak Sawfly larva and a leaf mine on Greater Stitchwort. I nipped off into the woodland nearby and noticed a leaf mine on Hornbeam that I hadn't seen before. Showing it to Stewart he recognised it as Paracrania chrysolepidella, a species new to Norfolk! I went back to see if any were tenanted, but only found vacated ones, including some on Hazel. Later in the day both Stewart and Andy Beaumont did find occupied mines.

This was an excellent start to the visit. I also noticed that there was a Malthinus or Maltheodes beetle resting on one of the mines, which I passed to Martin Collier who had also just arrived. White-pinion Spotted moth and numerous Mottled Umber caterpillars were of note, whilst Stewart found me an Adela fibulella moth on Germander Speedwell.

By now most people were chipping in with the invertebrates, of which Robert Maidstone's Anaglyptus mysticus longhorn beetle was a new one for me. Various hoverflies (some identified and some not) were seen, along with more caterpillars. There were large areas of Yellow Archangel in flower, plus some Early Purple Orchids and Andy pointed out the feeding signs of Nemapogon clematella.

Many of the fungi seen were plant or wood fungi, but we did see this large and rather formless Morel sp.

I left early after lunch, calling in at a pingo site on my way home, where I found the scarce hoverfly Anasimyia interpuncta to cap an excellent trip.